It’s not a surprise but the Eagles are losing one of their top free agents on the first day of the negotiating window.
Defensive tackle Milton Williams and the New England Patriots have agreed a deal that will pay Williams $26 million per season, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo reported.
Earlier in the day, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the Panthers were “working to finalize a deal” with Williams. But apparently the Patriots swooped in to land him.
This $26 million in annual average salary will make Williams the third highest-paid defensive tackle in the NFL behind just Chris Jones and Christian Wilkins, per OverTheCap. That will bring back a compensatory pick for the Eagles, who also lost CB Isaiah Rodgers (Vikings) on the first day of free agency.
Williams, 25, was a third-round pick out of Louisiana Tech back in 2021 and had a productive four seasons with the Eagles. He had a breakout season in 2024 with 5 sacks and 10 QB hits in 17 games and capped it with a really strong performance in Super Bowl LIX, when he had 2 sacks and a forced fumble. The Eagles beat the Chiefs 40-22.
During his four years with the Eagles, Williams played in 67 games with 19 starts and had 11 1/2 sacks and 29 QB hits. He is viewed as an ascending player, who is still very early in his NFL career.
The Eagles entered free agency with just around $22 million in available cap space and knew they were likely going to lose some big-time free agents, Williams among them. The Eagles will need to rely on younger and cheaper players to supplement their top-heavy roster going forward.
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Williams in 2024 was a perfect complement to superstar Jalen Carter on the interior of the Eagles’ defensive line. While Carter routinely drew double teams from opposing defenses, Williams was able to capitalize by beating his 1-on-1s. In 2024, Williams had a pressure rate of 12.5%, per NextGen Stats, which lead the Eagles’ defensive tackles. For reference, that pressure rate was higher than that of All-Pro Chris Jones (12.0%).
It’ll be imperative that the Eagles find a suitable running mate for Carter in 2025. There are several cheaper free agents available and this is considered to be a strong draft class for defensive tackles. The top internal candidate would be former seventh-round pick Moro Ojomo, who will enter his third NFL season in 2025.
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